₦airaland Forum

When the Student Becomes the Teacher: How David Mark Publicly Schooled Akpabio on Democracy 101

There are moments in politics when someone says the quiet part out loud, and there are moments when someone gets called out for it so spectacularly that you can't help but watch. Tuesday's Senate session gave Nigerians both.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio stood before his colleagues and attempted to justify why electronic transmission of election results should remain stripped from the Electoral Act. His reasoning? The opposition won some states anyway, so what's the problem?

Then ADC National Chairman Senator David Mark rose to his feet and delivered a masterclass in public correction. In clear, measured terms, Mark didn't just disagree with Akpabio, he reminded him of something the Senate President seemed to have completely forgotten: his actual job description.

"What the ADC is saying is, pass the law, and there should be electronic transmission," Mark stated firmly. "Let INEC decide whether they can do it or not. Don't speak for INEC. Speak for the National Assembly. What the public wants is let there be electronic transmission."

In those few sentences, David Mark gave Akpabio a civics lesson in front of the entire nation about the fundamental difference between serving the people and serving yourself.

Akpabio's Breathtaking Logic

Let's appreciate what Akpabio actually said, because it deserves to be examined in all its glory. "This same Electoral Act made the opposition party win a large number of votes in the 2023 presidential election. In fact, Peter Obi won the five states of the south-east and even took Delta in the South-South and Lagos in the South-West with the same act we're talking about oo. Maybe we should leave the act so that they will see that no matter how they jump from here and there, they'll still lose."

The Senate President just stood before the nation and essentially said: "Look, the opposition won some states, didn't they? So stop complaining. Besides, they still lost the big prize, so what's the noise about?"

This is the political equivalent of a thief telling you, "I only stole your TV and laptop, but I left your toaster. Why are you calling the police?" Akpabio's logic is spectacularly empty and profoundly insulting to Nigerian intelligence. He's essentially admitting that even with a flawed system, some opposition victories slipped through, and he's using that as proof the system works fine.

But here's what makes it worse: the smug certainty in his tone. The dismissive "oo" at the end. The casual "they'll still lose" that gives away the entire game. Akpabio wasn't defending the Electoral Act. He was openly bragging about how the ruling party could win regardless, so why bother with transparency? This is a man who has completely forgotten that elections aren't supposed to be rigged games where the house always wins.

David Mark's Masterstroke

Enter David Mark, a man who has been in Nigerian politics long enough to recognize nonsense when he hears it. Mark didn't shout. He didn't need to. He simply delivered a reminder so basic that the fact it needed to be said at all is damning.

"Let INEC decide whether they can do it or not. Don't speak for INEC. Speak for the National Assembly."

With those words, Mark cut straight to the heart of the matter. Akpabio wasn't acting as a senator representing the Nigerian people. He was acting as a defense attorney for the status quo, making excuses for why transparency shouldn't happen. Mark reminded Akpabio that his job isn't to protect political parties or defend flawed systems. His job is to listen to what Nigerians are demanding and make laws that reflect those demands.

"What the public wants is let there be electronic transmission."

Simple. Clear. Undeniable.

The Nigerian public has been screaming for electoral transparency since the 2023 elections left a bitter taste in millions of mouths. Nigerians watched results disappear into mysterious "technical glitches." They watched votes counted at polling units somehow transform into completely different numbers at collation centers. And what did Nigerians ask for in response? Not revolution. Not violence. Just one simple thing: let the results be transmitted electronically in real-time so everyone can see what's happening.

Mark's intervention was a reminder of a principle that should be carved into every legislator's desk: You are a servant, not a master. When the people speak, your job is to listen, not to lecture them about why their demands are unnecessary.

The 2023 Election Wound

To understand why Nigerians are so insistent on electronic transmission, you need to understand what happened in 2023. For the first time in recent history, young people actually believed their votes might count. Peter Obi's campaign energized millions who had given up on politics. Nigerians turned out in massive numbers, determined to be heard.

At polling units across the nation, citizens watched results being tallied. They took pictures. They recorded numbers. They saw with their own eyes who won their polling units. But then something happened on the way to the final results. Numbers started changing. Results announced at polling units didn't match results at collation centers. In some places, votes simply disappeared. The electronic transmission system that was supposed to provide transparency somehow stopped working at the most crucial moments.

The excuse? Technical glitches. In 2023. In an age when we can stream 4K video to our phones from anywhere in the world, Nigeria's electoral commission claimed it couldn't transmit simple numerical results electronically. Nigerians weren't stupid. They knew exactly what "technical glitches" meant.

The 2023 presidential election became the most controversial in modern Nigerian history not because people are sore losers, but because the process itself was so obviously compromised. This is why electronic transmission isn't some technical policy detail. It's the difference between an election that Nigerians can trust and an election that leaves everyone suspicious and angry.

When results are transmitted electronically in real-time, there's a permanent record created immediately. No one can later claim different numbers without that contradiction being obvious to everyone. Any discrepancies between polling unit results and collation center results become immediately visible. The possibility of "negotiations" during the transportation of results from polling units to collation centers essentially disappears. Confidence in the entire process increases dramatically.

Why Akpabio Really Opposes Transparency

Let's address the elephant in the room: Why would Godswill Akpabio be so opposed to electoral transparency? The answer is painfully obvious. Electronic transmission doesn't favor any political party. It favors the truth. And if you benefit from a system where the truth can be flexible, then transparency becomes your enemy.

Think about what Akpabio said again: "Maybe we should leave the act so that they will see that no matter how they jump from here and there, they'll still lose." That's not the confidence of someone who believes their party wins because voters support them. That's the confidence of someone who knows the game is rigged in their favor. It's the confidence of a card dealer who knows the deck is marked.

Akpabio isn't worried about opposition parties winning because of electronic transmission. He's worried about what happens when every Nigerian can see, in real-time, exactly who their neighbors actually voted for. He's worried about a fair fight. The 2023 election, with all its controversies and irregularities, put him exactly where he is today: Senate President, wielding enormous power, sitting comfortable. Would he be there if every vote had been counted honestly and transparently? That's a question he clearly doesn't want Nigerians to be able to answer definitively.

From Servants to Masters

Akpabio's stance represents a disease that has infected Nigerian politics so thoroughly that we've almost forgotten what healthy democracy looks like. The disease is this: Nigerian politicians have forgotten they are servants. During election season, they're everywhere. On your street, in your neighborhood, at your church or mosque, shaking hands, making promises, begging for votes. They practically prostrate themselves for your vote.

And then, the moment they win, something magical happens. The servant becomes the master. The beggar becomes the emperor. Suddenly, your phone calls don't get answered. Your concerns don't matter. Your demands become "unrealistic" or "politically motivated."

When David Mark told Akpabio to speak for the National Assembly and listen to what the public wants, he was calling out this disease directly. He was reminding Akpabio that the people aren't asking for his opinion on what's possible or reasonable. They're telling him what they want, and his job is to deliver it. That's how democracy is supposed to work. The people are the principals. The politicians are the agents.

The Road to 2027

Nigerians have made something very clear in the two years since the 2023 elections: they will not accept a repeat performance. The frustration, the anger, the sense of betrayal that followed the 2023 elections hasn't faded. If anything, it's hardened into determination.

The demand for electronic transmission of results is, at its core, a demand for dignity. It's Nigerians saying: "We're not stupid. We can see when we're being cheated. And we refuse to participate in a charade that insults our intelligence."

The exchange between Mark and Akpabio wasn't just another day in the Senate. It was a moment that crystallized everything that's wrong with Nigerian politics and everything that could be right about it. On one side, you have Akpabio: the embodiment of a political class that has forgotten who it serves, that defends broken systems because those systems benefit them personally. On the other side, you have Mark: reminding politicians of their basic job description, speaking for a public that's tired of being ignored, insisting that the people's will should actually matter.

Akpabio got taught . Whether he learned it remains to be seen. But millions of Nigerians were watching, taking notes, and preparing for 2027. And they haven't forgotten what happened in 2023. Not by a long shot.

Source:
https://avalanchemediablog.com/article.html?slug=akpabio-gets-roasted-by-david-mark-in-senate-over-removing-electronic-transmission-from-electoral-law

What I noticed about Akpabio is that he is easy to read...

He isn't sleek or sophisticated in hiding his corrupt nature. He is like an open book easy to read and understand!

Akpabio is mæd man roaming aimlessly, sent to do the biding of a notorious drug baron

brain54:
What I noticed about Akpabio is that he is easy to read...

He isn't sleek or sophisticated in hiding his corrupt nature. He is like an open book easy to read and understand!

bro oo...who hacked your account?

Are other data boys of know that you have gone rogue?

I don't think David has any bragging right to even open his mouth.

We are talking about a man who today cannot travel by road to his village due to the condition of the road.
After over 16years in the Senate with 8 years as Senate president. Aside JoyFM his private radio station, even he himself cannot point to anything he has done for his senatorial district in over 16 years.
I heard he went about promising to build a mortuary for a community, the community has not hospital. Even the mortuary e st wee

I don't think David has any bragging right to even open his mouth.

We are talking about a man who today cannot travel by road to his village due to the condition of the road.
After over 16years in the Senate with 8 years as Senate president. Aside JoyFM his private radio station, even he himself cannot point to anything he has done for his senatorial district in over 16 years.
I heard he went about promising to build a mortuary for a community, the community has not hospital. Even the mortuary e still no build

brain54:
What I noticed about Akpabio is that he is easy to read...

He isn't sleek or sophisticated in hiding his corrupt nature. He is like an open book easy to read and understand!

They're not special. They only have enough stolen money to buy E-rats and praise singers who have no future.

Losers looking for what to blame on

Exousiang01:
I don't think David has any bragging right to even open his mouth.

We are talking about a man who today cannot travel by road to his village due to the condition of the road.
After over 16years in the Senate with 8 years as Senate president. Aside JoyFM his private radio station, even he himself cannot point to anything he has done for his senatorial district in over 16 years.
I heard he went about promising to build a mortuary for a community, the community has not hospital. Even the mortuary e still no build

Whether Mark did something for his people or not is a separate issue, feel free to create a thread for that.

Please don’t distract or deflect.

Mark is simply reminding Akpabio of his legislative duties. His job as a senator is to listen to what Nigerians are demanding and make laws that reflect those demands. Period.


Nigerians want electronic transmission made mandatory. His duty was to legislate...not speak for INEC.

Is he an INEC official?

Ofunaofu:
Whether Mark did something for his people or not is a separate issue, feel free to create a thread for that.

Please don’t distract or deflect.

Mark is simply reminding Akpabio of his legislative duties. His job as a senator is to listen to what Nigerians are demanding and make laws that reflect those demands. Period.


Nigerians want electronic transmission made mandatory. His duty was to legislate...not speak for INEC.

Is he an INEC official?

No
That is not exactly what Nigerians are demanding.
Electronic transmission is not the problem.
"Real-Time" and "Compulsory" is the problem

"Compulsory" means votes not transmitted in real time due to any reason whatsoever becomes invalid.
What you lots are asking for is beyond what you understand.
Nigerians are emotional people with zero rational thinking

Exousiang01:
No
That is not exactly what Nigerians are demanding.
Electronic transmission is not the problem.
"Real-Time" and "Compulsory" is the problem

"Compulsory" means votes not transmitted in real time due to any reason whatsoever becomes invalid.
What you lots are asking for is beyond what you understand.
Nigerians are emotional people with zero rational thinking

No, you’re the one confusing things in your head.
Nigerians do want electronic transmission made mandatory in the electoral law. That’s the demand.

The issue isn’t electronic transmission.The issue is transparency and accountability.

And you’re twisting compulsory into something it’s not.

Compulsory doesn’t mean if there’s a glitch, the result is invalid.
It means the system must be used, not ignored or manipulated.

If the system has a glitch, the solution is to fix it, not to hide behind excuses

And your Nigerians are emotional line is really funny, funny because it’s the kind of emotional excuse, line people use when they can’t defend a position.

Ofunaofu:
Akpabio is mæd man roaming aimlessly, sent to do the biding of a notorious drug baron

A criminal like David Mark, a failed Pdp runaway hobo is opening mouth also?

Nigerians are just to gullible. Tufiakpa.

Ofunaofu:
No, you’re the one confusing things in your head.
Nigerians do want electronic transmission made mandatory in the electoral law. That’s the demand.

The issue isn’t electronic transmission.The issue is transparency and accountability.

And you’re twisting compulsory into something it’s not.

Compulsory doesn’t mean if there’s a glitch, the result is invalid.
It means the system must be used, not ignored or manipulated.

If the system has a glitch, the solution is to fix it, not to hide behind excuses

And your Nigerians are emotional line is really funny, funny because it’s the kind of emotional excuse, line people use when they can’t defend a position.

The law says the Eyeneck will take responsibility for that, so what is all your noise over?

Burob:
The law says the Eyeneck will take responsibility for that, so what is all your noise over?

Did they take responsibility for the glitch that happened in 2023?

Ofunaofu:
Did they take responsibility for the glitch that happened in 2023?

No, na u take the responsibility.

Exousiang01:
No
That is not exactly what Nigerians are demanding.
Electronic transmission is not the problem.
"Real-Time" and "Compulsory" is the problem

"Compulsory" means votes not transmitted in real time due to any reason whatsoever becomes invalid.
What you lots are asking for is beyond what you understand.
Nigerians are emotional people with zero rational thinking

Don’t mind that guy, just ranting nonsense, clueless of what he is asking for.

Ofunaofu:
No, you’re the one confusing things in your head.
Nigerians do want electronic transmission made mandatory in the electoral law. That’s the demand.

The issue isn’t electronic transmission.The issue is transparency and accountability.

And you’re twisting compulsory into something it’s not.

Compulsory doesn’t mean if there’s a glitch, the result is invalid.
It means the system must be used, not ignored or manipulated.

If the system has a glitch, the solution is to fix it, not to hide behind excuses

And your Nigerians are emotional line is really funny, funny because it’s the kind of emotional excuse, line people use when they can’t defend a position.

LoL what are you even saying.
You just totally agreed with me.
What I expected you to talk about was "Real-Time" and "Compulsory" you lots seems to block that out of your heads.
You always want to completely avoid it

Ofunaofu:
Whether Mark did something for his people or not is a separate issue, feel free to create a thread for that.

Please don’t distract or deflect.

Mark is simply reminding Akpabio of his legislative duties. His job as a senator is to listen to what Nigerians are demanding and make laws that reflect those demands. Period.


Nigerians want electronic transmission made mandatory. His duty was to legislate...not speak for INEC.

Is he an INEC official?

David Mark was senate president for 8yrs.

What stopped from enacting E_Transmission during his 8yrs reign.

When they are not in power, they have say and solution's but when in power, nothing to show.

David Msrk should cover his face with shame

avalancheMedia:
When the Student Becomes the Teacher: How David Mark Publicly Schooled Akpabio on Democracy 101

There are moments in politics when someone says the quiet part out loud, and there are moments when someone gets called out for it so spectacularly that you can't help but watch. Tuesday's Senate session gave Nigerians both.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio stood before his colleagues and attempted to justify why electronic transmission of election results should remain stripped from the Electoral Act. His reasoning? The opposition won some states anyway, so what's the problem?

Then ADC National Chairman Senator David Mark rose to his feet and delivered a masterclass in public correction. In clear, measured terms, Mark didn't just disagree with Akpabio, he reminded him of something the Senate President seemed to have completely forgotten: his actual job description.

"What the ADC is saying is, pass the law, and there should be electronic transmission," Mark stated firmly. "Let INEC decide whether they can do it or not. Don't speak for INEC. Speak for the National Assembly. What the public wants is let there be electronic transmission."

In those few sentences, David Mark gave Akpabio a civics lesson in front of the entire nation about the fundamental difference between serving the people and serving yourself.

Akpabio's Breathtaking Logic

Let's appreciate what Akpabio actually said, because it deserves to be examined in all its glory. "This same Electoral Act made the opposition party win a large number of votes in the 2023 presidential election. In fact, Peter Obi won the five states of the south-east and even took Delta in the South-South and Lagos in the South-West with the same act we're talking about oo. Maybe we should leave the act so that they will see that no matter how they jump from here and there, they'll still lose."

The Senate President just stood before the nation and essentially said: "Look, the opposition won some states, didn't they? So stop complaining. Besides, they still lost the big prize, so what's the noise about?"

This is the political equivalent of a thief telling you, "I only stole your TV and laptop, but I left your toaster. Why are you calling the police?" Akpabio's logic is spectacularly empty and profoundly insulting to Nigerian intelligence. He's essentially admitting that even with a flawed system, some opposition victories slipped through, and he's using that as proof the system works fine.

But here's what makes it worse: the smug certainty in his tone. The dismissive "oo" at the end. The casual "they'll still lose" that gives away the entire game. Akpabio wasn't defending the Electoral Act. He was openly bragging about how the ruling party could win regardless, so why bother with transparency? This is a man who has completely forgotten that elections aren't supposed to be rigged games where the house always wins.

David Mark's Masterstroke

Enter David Mark, a man who has been in Nigerian politics long enough to recognize nonsense when he hears it. Mark didn't shout. He didn't need to. He simply delivered a reminder so basic that the fact it needed to be said at all is damning.

"Let INEC decide whether they can do it or not. Don't speak for INEC. Speak for the National Assembly."

With those words, Mark cut straight to the heart of the matter. Akpabio wasn't acting as a senator representing the Nigerian people. He was acting as a defense attorney for the status quo, making excuses for why transparency shouldn't happen. Mark reminded Akpabio that his job isn't to protect political parties or defend flawed systems. His job is to listen to what Nigerians are demanding and make laws that reflect those demands.

"What the public wants is let there be electronic transmission."

Simple. Clear. Undeniable.

The Nigerian public has been screaming for electoral transparency since the 2023 elections left a bitter taste in millions of mouths. Nigerians watched results disappear into mysterious "technical glitches." They watched votes counted at polling units somehow transform into completely different numbers at collation centers. And what did Nigerians ask for in response? Not revolution. Not violence. Just one simple thing: let the results be transmitted electronically in real-time so everyone can see what's happening.

Mark's intervention was a reminder of a principle that should be carved into every legislator's desk: You are a servant, not a master. When the people speak, your job is to listen, not to lecture them about why their demands are unnecessary.

The 2023 Election Wound

To understand why Nigerians are so insistent on electronic transmission, you need to understand what happened in 2023. For the first time in recent history, young people actually believed their votes might count. Peter Obi's campaign energized millions who had given up on politics. Nigerians turned out in massive numbers, determined to be heard.

At polling units across the nation, citizens watched results being tallied. They took pictures. They recorded numbers. They saw with their own eyes who won their polling units. But then something happened on the way to the final results. Numbers started changing. Results announced at polling units didn't match results at collation centers. In some places, votes simply disappeared. The electronic transmission system that was supposed to provide transparency somehow stopped working at the most crucial moments.

The excuse? Technical glitches. In 2023. In an age when we can stream 4K video to our phones from anywhere in the world, Nigeria's electoral commission claimed it couldn't transmit simple numerical results electronically. Nigerians weren't stupid. They knew exactly what "technical glitches" meant.

The 2023 presidential election became the most controversial in modern Nigerian history not because people are sore losers, but because the process itself was so obviously compromised. This is why electronic transmission isn't some technical policy detail. It's the difference between an election that Nigerians can trust and an election that leaves everyone suspicious and angry.

When results are transmitted electronically in real-time, there's a permanent record created immediately. No one can later claim different numbers without that contradiction being obvious to everyone. Any discrepancies between polling unit results and collation center results become immediately visible. The possibility of "negotiations" during the transportation of results from polling units to collation centers essentially disappears. Confidence in the entire process increases dramatically.

Why Akpabio Really Opposes Transparency

Let's address the elephant in the room: Why would Godswill Akpabio be so opposed to electoral transparency? The answer is painfully obvious. Electronic transmission doesn't favor any political party. It favors the truth. And if you benefit from a system where the truth can be flexible, then transparency becomes your enemy.

Think about what Akpabio said again: "Maybe we should leave the act so that they will see that no matter how they jump from here and there, they'll still lose." That's not the confidence of someone who believes their party wins because voters support them. That's the confidence of someone who knows the game is rigged in their favor. It's the confidence of a card dealer who knows the deck is marked.

Akpabio isn't worried about opposition parties winning because of electronic transmission. He's worried about what happens when every Nigerian can see, in real-time, exactly who their neighbors actually voted for. He's worried about a fair fight. The 2023 election, with all its controversies and irregularities, put him exactly where he is today: Senate President, wielding enormous power, sitting comfortable. Would he be there if every vote had been counted honestly and transparently? That's a question he clearly doesn't want Nigerians to be able to answer definitively.

From Servants to Masters

Akpabio's stance represents a disease that has infected Nigerian politics so thoroughly that we've almost forgotten what healthy democracy looks like. The disease is this: Nigerian politicians have forgotten they are servants. During election season, they're everywhere. On your street, in your neighborhood, at your church or mosque, shaking hands, making promises, begging for votes. They practically prostrate themselves for your vote.

And then, the moment they win, something magical happens. The servant becomes the master. The beggar becomes the emperor. Suddenly, your phone calls don't get answered. Your concerns don't matter. Your demands become "unrealistic" or "politically motivated."

When David Mark told Akpabio to speak for the National Assembly and listen to what the public wants, he was calling out this disease directly. He was reminding Akpabio that the people aren't asking for his opinion on what's possible or reasonable. They're telling him what they want, and his job is to deliver it. That's how democracy is supposed to work. The people are the principals. The politicians are the agents.

The Road to 2027

Nigerians have made something very clear in the two years since the 2023 elections: they will not accept a repeat performance. The frustration, the anger, the sense of betrayal that followed the 2023 elections hasn't faded. If anything, it's hardened into determination.

The demand for electronic transmission of results is, at its core, a demand for dignity. It's Nigerians saying: "We're not stupid. We can see when we're being cheated. And we refuse to participate in a charade that insults our intelligence."

The exchange between Mark and Akpabio wasn't just another day in the Senate. It was a moment that crystallized everything that's wrong with Nigerian politics and everything that could be right about it. On one side, you have Akpabio: the embodiment of a political class that has forgotten who it serves, that defends broken systems because those systems benefit them personally. On the other side, you have Mark: reminding politicians of their basic job description, speaking for a public that's tired of being ignored, insisting that the people's will should actually matter.

Akpabio got taught . Whether he learned it remains to be seen. But millions of Nigerians were watching, taking notes, and preparing for 2027. And they haven't forgotten what happened in 2023. Not by a long shot.

Source:
https://avalanchemediablog.com/article.html?slug=akpabio-gets-roasted-by-david-mark-in-senate-over-removing-electronic-transmission-from-electoral-law

Lies , lies ,lies .

David Mark is a retired Senator and not a current member of this assembly so there was no way he could sit at plenary .

Moderators please take note of this blog that dishes out false information.

Secondly, it will be very stupid of David Mark to say the national assembly should pass the law first and then allow inec decide what they prefer .

Once a law is passed you are duty bound to work with that law and it's specifics.

How about the opposition senators that rejected the bill. You people should stop sounding like hypocrites

Exousiang01:
I don't think David has any bragging right to even open his mouth.

We are talking about a man who today cannot travel by road to his village due to the condition of the road.
After over 16years in the Senate with 8 years as Senate president. Aside JoyFM his private radio station, even he himself cannot point to anything he has done for his senatorial district in over 16 years.
I heard he went about promising to build a mortuary for a community, the community has not hospital. Even the mortuary e st wee

When the country needed to be rescued, David was man enough to pass the doctrine of necessity for the Senate. When there is time to save the country, put country above party. If we were in similar situation when our President was incapacitated and did not hand over power, I doubt Akpabio being man enough to do the right thing.

David Mark is a wash
Useless to everybody.
Useless to his people.
Was rather useless in army uniform.

avalancheMedia:
When the Student Becomes the Teacher: How David Mark Publicly Schooled Akpabio on Democracy 101

There are moments in politics when someone says the quiet part out loud, and there are moments when someone gets called out for it so spectacularly that you can't help but watch. Tuesday's Senate session gave Nigerians both.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio stood before his colleagues and attempted to justify why electronic transmission of election results should remain stripped from the Electoral Act. His reasoning? The opposition won some states anyway, so what's the problem?

Then ADC National Chairman Senator David Mark rose to his feet and delivered a masterclass in public correction. In clear, measured terms, Mark didn't just disagree with Akpabio, he reminded him of something the Senate President seemed to have completely forgotten: his actual job description.

"What the ADC is saying is, pass the law, and there should be electronic transmission," Mark stated firmly. "Let INEC decide whether they can do it or not. Don't speak for INEC. Speak for the National Assembly. What the public wants is let there be electronic transmission."

In those few sentences, David Mark gave Akpabio a civics lesson in front of the entire nation about the fundamental difference between serving the people and serving yourself.

Akpabio's Breathtaking Logic

Let's appreciate what Akpabio actually said, because it deserves to be examined in all its glory. "This same Electoral Act made the opposition party win a large number of votes in the 2023 presidential election. In fact, Peter Obi won the five states of the south-east and even took Delta in the South-South and Lagos in the South-West with the same act we're talking about oo. Maybe we should leave the act so that they will see that no matter how they jump from here and there, they'll still lose."

The Senate President just stood before the nation and essentially said: "Look, the opposition won some states, didn't they? So stop complaining. Besides, they still lost the big prize, so what's the noise about?"

This is the political equivalent of a thief telling you, "I only stole your TV and laptop, but I left your toaster. Why are you calling the police?" Akpabio's logic is spectacularly empty and profoundly insulting to Nigerian intelligence. He's essentially admitting that even with a flawed system, some opposition victories slipped through, and he's using that as proof the system works fine.

But here's what makes it worse: the smug certainty in his tone. The dismissive "oo" at the end. The casual "they'll still lose" that gives away the entire game. Akpabio wasn't defending the Electoral Act. He was openly bragging about how the ruling party could win regardless, so why bother with transparency? This is a man who has completely forgotten that elections aren't supposed to be rigged games where the house always wins.

David Mark's Masterstroke

Enter David Mark, a man who has been in Nigerian politics long enough to recognize nonsense when he hears it. Mark didn't shout. He didn't need to. He simply delivered a reminder so basic that the fact it needed to be said at all is damning.

"Let INEC decide whether they can do it or not. Don't speak for INEC. Speak for the National Assembly."

With those words, Mark cut straight to the heart of the matter. Akpabio wasn't acting as a senator representing the Nigerian people. He was acting as a defense attorney for the status quo, making excuses for why transparency shouldn't happen. Mark reminded Akpabio that his job isn't to protect political parties or defend flawed systems. His job is to listen to what Nigerians are demanding and make laws that reflect those demands.

"What the public wants is let there be electronic transmission."

Simple. Clear. Undeniable.

The Nigerian public has been screaming for electoral transparency since the 2023 elections left a bitter taste in millions of mouths. Nigerians watched results disappear into mysterious "technical glitches." They watched votes counted at polling units somehow transform into completely different numbers at collation centers. And what did Nigerians ask for in response? Not revolution. Not violence. Just one simple thing: let the results be transmitted electronically in real-time so everyone can see what's happening.

Mark's intervention was a reminder of a principle that should be carved into every legislator's desk: You are a servant, not a master. When the people speak, your job is to listen, not to lecture them about why their demands are unnecessary.

The 2023 Election Wound

To understand why Nigerians are so insistent on electronic transmission, you need to understand what happened in 2023. For the first time in recent history, young people actually believed their votes might count. Peter Obi's campaign energized millions who had given up on politics. Nigerians turned out in massive numbers, determined to be heard.

At polling units across the nation, citizens watched results being tallied. They took pictures. They recorded numbers. They saw with their own eyes who won their polling units. But then something happened on the way to the final results. Numbers started changing. Results announced at polling units didn't match results at collation centers. In some places, votes simply disappeared. The electronic transmission system that was supposed to provide transparency somehow stopped working at the most crucial moments.

The excuse? Technical glitches. In 2023. In an age when we can stream 4K video to our phones from anywhere in the world, Nigeria's electoral commission claimed it couldn't transmit simple numerical results electronically. Nigerians weren't stupid. They knew exactly what "technical glitches" meant.

The 2023 presidential election became the most controversial in modern Nigerian history not because people are sore losers, but because the process itself was so obviously compromised. This is why electronic transmission isn't some technical policy detail. It's the difference between an election that Nigerians can trust and an election that leaves everyone suspicious and angry.

When results are transmitted electronically in real-time, there's a permanent record created immediately. No one can later claim different numbers without that contradiction being obvious to everyone. Any discrepancies between polling unit results and collation center results become immediately visible. The possibility of "negotiations" during the transportation of results from polling units to collation centers essentially disappears. Confidence in the entire process increases dramatically.

Why Akpabio Really Opposes Transparency

Let's address the elephant in the room: Why would Godswill Akpabio be so opposed to electoral transparency? The answer is painfully obvious. Electronic transmission doesn't favor any political party. It favors the truth. And if you benefit from a system where the truth can be flexible, then transparency becomes your enemy.

Think about what Akpabio said again: "Maybe we should leave the act so that they will see that no matter how they jump from here and there, they'll still lose." That's not the confidence of someone who believes their party wins because voters support them. That's the confidence of someone who knows the game is rigged in their favor. It's the confidence of a card dealer who knows the deck is marked.

Akpabio isn't worried about opposition parties winning because of electronic transmission. He's worried about what happens when every Nigerian can see, in real-time, exactly who their neighbors actually voted for. He's worried about a fair fight. The 2023 election, with all its controversies and irregularities, put him exactly where he is today: Senate President, wielding enormous power, sitting comfortable. Would he be there if every vote had been counted honestly and transparently? That's a question he clearly doesn't want Nigerians to be able to answer definitively.

From Servants to Masters

Akpabio's stance represents a disease that has infected Nigerian politics so thoroughly that we've almost forgotten what healthy democracy looks like. The disease is this: Nigerian politicians have forgotten they are servants. During election season, they're everywhere. On your street, in your neighborhood, at your church or mosque, shaking hands, making promises, begging for votes. They practically prostrate themselves for your vote.

And then, the moment they win, something magical happens. The servant becomes the master. The beggar becomes the emperor. Suddenly, your phone calls don't get answered. Your concerns don't matter. Your demands become "unrealistic" or "politically motivated."

When David Mark told Akpabio to speak for the National Assembly and listen to what the public wants, he was calling out this disease directly. He was reminding Akpabio that the people aren't asking for his opinion on what's possible or reasonable. They're telling him what they want, and his job is to deliver it. That's how democracy is supposed to work. The people are the principals. The politicians are the agents.

The Road to 2027

Nigerians have made something very clear in the two years since the 2023 elections: they will not accept a repeat performance. The frustration, the anger, the sense of betrayal that followed the 2023 elections hasn't faded. If anything, it's hardened into determination.

The demand for electronic transmission of results is, at its core, a demand for dignity. It's Nigerians saying: "We're not stupid. We can see when we're being cheated. And we refuse to participate in a charade that insults our intelligence."

The exchange between Mark and Akpabio wasn't just another day in the Senate. It was a moment that crystallized everything that's wrong with Nigerian politics and everything that could be right about it. On one side, you have Akpabio: the embodiment of a political class that has forgotten who it serves, that defends broken systems because those systems benefit them personally. On the other side, you have Mark: reminding politicians of their basic job description, speaking for a public that's tired of being ignored, insisting that the people's will should actually matter.

Akpabio got taught . Whether he learned it remains to be seen. But millions of Nigerians were watching, taking notes, and preparing for 2027. And they haven't forgotten what happened in 2023. Not by a long shot.

Source:
https://avalanchemediablog.com/article.html?slug=akpabio-gets-roasted-by-david-mark-in-senate-over-removing-electronic-transmission-from-electoral-law

If we were to be a serious country, someone like Akpabio has no business being a Senate President.

Exousiang01:
I don't think David has any bragging right to even open his mouth.

We are talking about a man who today cannot travel by road to his village due to the condition of the road.
After over 16years in the Senate with 8 years as Senate president. Aside JoyFM his private radio station, even he himself cannot point to anything he has done for his senatorial district in over 16 years.
I heard he went about promising to build a mortuary for a community, the community has not hospital. Even the mortuary e st wee

Does the one on top have any moral justification to rule? Does he have any iota of morals?